The ability to formulate a query to obtain from a database some desired information is well known. One exemplary approach is the structured query language (SQL), which is a standard language for accessing and manipulating databases. SQL enables a user to execute queries against a database, retrieve data from a database, insert records into a database, update records in a database and delete records from a database. SQL can also be used to create new databases, new tables in an existing database, stored procedures in a database and views in a database.
However, not all data of interest is found stored in a database. For example, data of interest can be found in one or more dynamic streams of data, such as data generated by sensors and/or as a result of operation of a system or systems. Prior to this invention, the ability to effectively query one or more data streams to obtain data or information of interest has been limited or non-existent.